Category: What I’m Reading

Reading, signal boosting, What I'm Reading

Book Review: Jade City

M.E. Garber

I’ve never done this before, but I guess there always has to be a first. I’m placing my Goodreads review of Jade City here, just so that more people can see that I found this book WONDERFUL and IMMERSIVE, and gave it a very, very rare 5 stars!

Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1)
by Fonda Lee


Just wow. I don’t often give 5 stars, but this book deserves it!

In this secondary-world epic fantasy, a certain type of jade gives human beings superpowers–but only those with training and a built-up tolerance can wear it without becoming suicidal.

The jade supply is centered on tropical island, and the whole setting has a modern south-Asian feel that sinks into your bones as you read. The author does a magnificent job of setting the scenes, of giving us the feel of each place, of making you feel like you’re there, experiencing this place. She also delves into the minds of her numerous POV characters, none of whom are alike, some of whom we don’t think of as likable. And yet, each one acts in perfectly understandable, believable ways in the situations they’re placed in, and the whole plot moves forward in an inexorable push towards clan war, though most of the characters don’t want that.

Plot twists kept changing what I thought would happen in wonderful, unanticipated ways that were utterly spot-on and true to life. Perhaps most amazing is that, while the threat of impending warfare keeps the tone grim, there is also a lightness to enough of the scenes, especially in the building of familial bridges, that keeps the book from becoming too dark and depressing overall.

If you love epic fantasy, and political wranglings for power with magic, and have been looking (often in vain) for the next book/author to love, this one is for you. The whole thing is engrossing and wonderful, and you may find yourself wanting to curl up with the book to finish it in a single sitting!

One word of caution for the more timid reader: the opening chapter for me, while immersive and wonderfully voiced, was also one of the most violent. If you’re not a fan of on-page violence, just get through that and the rest will be worth it. I promise.

publication, Reading, What I'm Reading

Because We’re All Readers First, Right?

M.E. Garber

I love reading. If you’re reading this blog, chances are good you do, too.

So I’m excited to link to a new place to check out for your short fiction fixes. Curious Fictions is an online venture meant to help readers connect with previously published short fiction you might have missed. It’s a place to meet your next “favorite writer,” and maybe your next “favorite magazine.” At Curious Fictions, you’ll be able to sample magazine offerings, and find the writers they publish. Then you can go subscribe to those magazines you love–those you’ve previously hesitated to pay for, not knowing if you’d like them or not.

(Need some suggestions to get started? How about reading Sylvia Spruck Wrigley? Or Wendy Nikel? Or perhaps Effie Seiberg‘s story, Dinkley’s Ice Cream–I love that one!)

Curious Fictions is a work in progress. It’s new, and the person behind it is still tweaking the format, the page, the functions. New work is always arriving, and new readers–well, of course new readers are always welcome.

Some of my work is there, of course. But I encourage you to not read my stories (or, not just mine), but to try out some of the others. There are tons of great writers you haven’t read yet. Give one a try over at Curious Fictions, won’t you? And tell your friends. Writers need readers.

Magic of the Everyday, Nature, Personal Life, What I'm Reading, Writing Workshops

Pardon My Dust

M.E. Garber

It’s been far too long since I’ve wandered in here and made a post, and I’m sorry about that. It’s just that life has gone nutso; between hubby being gone on a business trip, then sick upon his return, prepping my own novel sub for Taos, and now reading all those other lovely submissions from my Taosians, and basically dealing with doggie healthcare and human healthcare, and not forgetting to eat…I’ve been so busy that I barely get through each day before the next day begins it all over again.

As if that wasn’t enough, I went and signed myself up on Twitter on Friday. Yeah, I know: I’ve hit the 21st century about 16 years too late. So far, it’s fun, though. If you’re interested, I’m @m_e_garber13 in the Twitterverse. There, like here, I tend not to make “profound comments” but to simply interact with friends and tweet small cool things. Like this pic of a tiny frog I found inside our lanai after a day-long rain shower: froglet

Because of the amount of reading for Taos Toolbox, it’ll probably be quiet around here before that event, as well as during it. There are ~10,000 word submissions + synopses for each of the approx 16 attendees to read before the workshop begins on July 10. This is a lot of reading, even without critting! But yes, critting is what we’re doing, too. Don’t think it’s all drudgery, though. These novel excerpts are actually quite good! So much so that I’m feeling like the ugly duckling in the roomful of swans (well hello, Impostor Syndrome! Imagine meeting you here. Again. :-/ ).

Anyway, that’s it for now. Gotta get back to reading. And oh yeah, the dog wants to play, too. Yay for healthy dog!

Links, signal boosting, What I'm Reading

No Shit, I Want to Read This!

M.E. Garber

23511c06a5cbc1b7b5edb068153cbfa7_originalHere’s a fun project that is just 10 days away and a few hundred dollars from full funding, and that I really hopes makes it. It’s an anthology called “No Shit, There I Was” and its full of tales I’m dying to read! And it’s from Alliteration Ink!, a great small publisher run by a great guy (I’ve been in one of his previous anthologies, and am still thrilled to be associated with this press). His press release has been denied by some local outlets because he, you know, actively solicits stories from writers from under-represented groups. And who wants that? So in addition to putting out great stories, he’s fighting the good fight against the forces of…mediocrity. Status-quo. Etc.

How do I know I’m dying to read these stories? Because I’m in an online writers’ group with many of them, and I can tell you they write great things! I simply can’t imagine that this themed anthology will make their combined talents wither; instead, I can only believe that such a fantastic prompt will have caused time and space to bow to their might. And I want to read it all! (insert terrible sound of an excited squee and a devious cackle agonizingly merging here)

For a mere $5 pledge on their Kickstarter, you can help fund this anthology and make it real (thus letting me read it!), getting an e-book copy for yourself. That’s pretty much a steal, IMO. I hope you agree. Like I said, I want to read it…

Links, Reading, signal boosting, What I'm Reading

Writers Need Readers

M.E. Garber

Every year, hundreds of thousands of wonderful stories are written and go out into the world. Along comes award season, and we readers scratch our heads, trying to remember which stories we read this year, not last year. What length were they? And which ones were by new authors who are eligible for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. It’s a bit overwhelming at the best of times.

Some years, there’s a little help. Fortunately, this is one of them.

Writer SL Huang stepped into the breach and pulled together stories by 120 authors eligible for the Campbell Award this year. She’s put them into a huge ebook anthology called “Up and Coming,” and it’s available free until March 31st. That’s a whole lot of free reading, and I have to say, a lot of really good free reading.

So click that link, choose your format, and tuck your feet up–you might be awhile. Happy Reading!

signal boosting, What I'm Reading

Fantasy Scroll Magazine Year One Anthology

M.E. Garber

27822923The first year of Fantasy Scroll Magazine has been assembled into an impressive anthology by Editor-in-Chief Iulian Ionescu and Managing Editor Frederick Doot. Titled “Dragons, Droids & Doom,” the anthology totals 51 stories by 49 authors–that’s a lot of wonderful reading!

While I’ve had to step away from slushing at Fantasy Scroll, I fully believe in this worthwhile magazine, and hope that you’ll consider a purchase of either the print or ebook version for your favorite SFF fan (which might well be yourself!).

Links, What I'm Reading

Best Reads of 2015

M.E. Garber

Friend and fellow VP-17er John Wiswell invites folks to post their own versions of his BestReads2015, so here is my version of his posting.

Let me start by admitting that I didn’t read as much this year as I’d intended–far too many “life problems,” stresses, and such interfered with my best-laid plans (as they usually do). And yet, I had no end of good things to read. I managed to finish the 40 books I’d challenged myself to on Goodreads, but only by the skin of my teeth! (In previous years, a mere 40 books would’ve been simple.) I’ve purposefully winnowed my list down to my personal top five picks, but there is no way that I could put them in any sort of order.

So, here they are:

77773 To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis

I found this book an utter delight! I’d listened to Willis’s The Doomsday Book, so I was familiar with her time-traveling scholars universe, but this book–well. It just wrapped me up in events mid-step and got both sillier and more endearing with each and every page. Her characters are so well-drawn and halfway through I felt that I’d known them all for ages, and could easily tell who was speaking without dialog tags. If you’re looking for a combination “light read” and “mental bop on the noggin,” then this is your book!

 

15819028The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker

A lovely story with wonderful period details of late 1800’s New York City, this book was both heart-rending and uplifting. Each and every character had a moral dilemma, and never have I so longed for a happy ending for the title characters as I did for these two poor souls–although their lack of mortal souls was half the point of the story. Bittersweet and immersive, I found it hard to put this one down.

 

 

23533039 Ancillary Mercy, by Ann Leckie

The third book in this series was the best yet! And that’s no mean feat, as I loved both Ancillary Justice and Ancillary Sword. It was utterly impossible not to love the Presger Interpreter, by whatever name it chose to go by. The climax was a razor’s edge dance between the absurd and the utterly inevitable, and keep me laughing out loud–when I finished that chapter, I had to go read it aloud to my (poor, long-suffering) spouse simply because I loved it so much I just had to share that joy.

 

 

3428255Cyberabad Days, by Ian McDonald

This is a compilation of short stories set in a future India. Each story thrust the reader headlong into the future culture, combining elements of the ancient past, the present-day, and extrapolations into the future without tagging them or weighing the narrative down. It was a glorious ride, and each tale was a small gem. But instead of gobbling this book down as I so easily could have, I read each story on its own and treasured it for a bit before I went back and opened the book for the next. Yes, it was just that good.

 

270259 Slow River, by Nicola Griffith

A mystery, a romance, a tech-heavy near-future thriller, a slow portrayal of someone running from her past coming to terms with her present–and her future. All this and more was wrapped up in this slim volume. In one sentence, the utter beauty of language and place held sway. In the next, the total barbarity of the humans involved in the novel came through with shocking clarity. It was a gripping read that, for me, was over all too soon. And yet, it ended exactly where it needed to.

Links, What I'm Reading

Links for the End of the Year

M.E. Garber

Winter is coming. Really, the equinox is on the 21st. So are you all settled in with your reading? No?

Well, let me recommend the latest issue of Fantasy Scroll Magazine. Yes, Issue 4 is now out, completing the first year of this publication. Weeee! Lots of great stories here, plus interviews and reviews, as well. Also, be sure to read the Introduction, which details great new things to come. Like what, you ask? We-ell, like a bi-montly format, a podcast, and more. (eh-hem) And consider that subscriptions make great gifts. As a slush reader there, I’m just saying. 🙂

Let me again sound off about Quarter Reads. They’ve updated their policy, letting you put down just $5 to try the stories, instead of the initial $10 minimum. They’ve added more authors, more stories, and more genre and subject tags to browse stories by. Give ’em a try.

Another reading favorite: Lightspeed Magazine’s recent release of FANTASY: Women Destroy Fantasy! Great fiction, great non-fiction, and amazing artwork, all guest edited by the amazing Cat Rambo.

Finally, I’ve been listening to podcasts from Beneath Ceaseless Skies’ Audio Vault, and haven’t found a bad one yet. They’re great for commuting, for holiday travel in crowded airports or trains, or just for plopping in earbuds and tuning out the holiday madness for a few moments of spec-fic bliss. Give them a listen!

There, now you’re set for reading materials. Winter may commence. Just, um, don’t let it freeze my Meyer lemons before they ripen. They’re getting so close, and I really want my very first harvest of 2 fruits!